More than 200 BCRF investigators explored new ideas and opportunities at the Foundation’s largest retreat and symposium to date
A key pillar of BCRF’s mission since its founding more than three decades ago has been to foster collaboration and promote cross-disciplinary innovation. This year’s annual scientific conference and symposium in New York City, held on October 29th and 30th, fulfilled this critical goal. At the Foundation’s largest gathering to date, more than 200 BCRF-funded investigators shared their newest updates, debated amongst colleagues, and explored new ideas in breast cancer research. Perhaps most powerfully, they started new collaborations and brainstormed the next innovations. While the retreat is dedicated exclusively to BCRF researchers, the symposium and luncheon on the following day provides supporters with the opportunity to hear directly from our scientists in a room full of the world’s most brilliant minds in cancer research.
At this year’s retreat, graciously underwritten by the Elizabeth Elting Foundation, experts discussed several emerging topics in breast cancer. Throughout the day, researchers presented their findings in breakout sessions dedicated to disparities in outcomes, breast cancer in younger women, novel therapeutics, rare subtypes, and much more. This model of engagement in closed-door sessions allows scientists to workshop new ideas and solicit feedback, propose new research trajectories that start new avenues of study, and begin interdisciplinary collaborations on the spot.
Immunotherapy took center stage as BCRF honored Dr. Robert H. Vonderheide of the University of Pennsylvania, a leading expert in the field of cancer immunotherapy, with the 2025 Jill Rose Award for his contributions to the development of novel breast cancer vaccines.
In his award lecture, he summarized his important research focusing on strategies to intercept breast cancer before it can take hold, an area between prevention and treatment. He credited BCRF’s funding model with the progress he has achieved. As Dr. Vonderheide stated, “At BCRF, it’s about, ‘What’s your concept? What’s the plan? We believe in you.’”
Critical to this year’s events, BCRF convened more early-career attendees than in any prior year. These investigators are supported through long-standing partnerships with esteemed academic and professional societies, as well as awards to those specifically impacted by the challenging landscape of biomedical science funding this year. The program offered dedicated time and opportunities for the next generation of researchers to network with all attendees, providing them not just scientific advice but encouragement to grow their research programs and careers.
The symposium, held the following day, featured Dr. Vonderheide alongside fellow BCRF investigators Drs. Nora Disis and Elizabeth Mittendorf and moderators Drs. Larry Norton and Judy Garber in a panel discussion, “Innovations in Immunotherapy.”
Key Symposium Takeaways:
- Breast cancer vaccines show incredible promise not just in treating existing cancers, but to intercept the disease before it takes root — offering a paradigm shift in the way we can prevent the disease.
- Vaccines offer a pathway to strengthening our bodies’ own defense systems to recognize and attack cancer cells and have the potential to leave long-lasting memory.
- While triple-negative breast cancer has seen the most success from immunotherapy, current clinical trials are exploring ways to extend benefits to HR-positive breast cancer, which impacts the broadest swath of patients.
The panel highlighted the work of several BCRF investigators who were called on to offer their own perspectives:
- Dr. Virginia Borges highlighted the troubling and unexplained rise of breast cancer in younger women, especially in postpartum women, and the need for research to uncover the cause while providing better treatment options.
- Dr. Ben Park offered insights on how liquid biopsies could potentially work to help identify patients at high risk for recurrence.
- Drs. Jennifer Ligibel and Neil Iyengar discussed the importance of exercise in lowering breast cancer risk, improving quality of life for people with breast cancer, and reducing the risk of recurrence.
- Dr. Angela DeMichele described findings recently published in Nature Medicine resulting from a longstanding collaboration between her and University of Pennsylvania colleague Dr. Lawrence Chodosh. Using basic research advances in pre-clinical models from the lab of Dr. Chodosh, Dr. DeMichele led a proof-of-principle clinical trial to identify and target dormant breast cancer cells in survivors’ bone marrow with specific therapies before these cells have a chance to spread, thereby reducing breast cancer recurrence. This partnership highlighted the valuable ways in which basic scientific research paves the way for important clinical findings.
As Drs. Norton and Garber concluded the insightful discussions, BCRF Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Dorraya El-Ashry reminded attendees that the most meaningful advances in science come from shared knowledge. Researchers are generating more data than ever before, and sharing it ensures that they are learning from one another’s discoveries and openly exchanging information in real time. By doing so in repositories such as BCRF’s Global Data Hub, researchers can accelerate breakthroughs that no single lab could achieve alone — a message that reflected the collaborative spirit in the room.
